The Company of Lori
by JamesSunderlandsPillow
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Lori Loud must make a decision that impacts the survival of her family… and a familiar face from her past. (Rated T for some language and all around skulduggery. Cover Art by meowloudly15. I do not own The Loud House).


**I'm gonna dedicate this to Heitomos... Just because:)**

* * *

Lori… Lori never changes.

Or war. It doesn't change either, and not for the better. Especially when it leads to the fall of modern civilization, transforming all parts of the world into irradiated wastelands riddled with squalor and death.

Some turn to drugs and alcohol to escape the harsh realities of the now destitute Royal Woods, others are forced into lives of raiding, murdering, and pillaging. Some are overexposed to radiation and suffer its many gene-altering effects.

But Lori Loud? She's done what she's always done. She took charge.

She's done alright. Yes, she's suffered losses, losses that would have debilitated others beyond saving; but she always kept a level head. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have gotten herself and her younger siblings this far.

While they may have called her "The Queen of No" four years ago, back before the fall, the ten other Loud children now show their leader nothing but love and respect. She makes the decisions they can't, and puts all of her efforts into keeping her family alive and well.

…

In order to survive in the wasteland, a person has to have a plan. While some nomads get lucky by laying low and being careful with their resources, only those with true mettle actually _live_ life in the new world.

For the Louds, its business. Specifically: running a trading caravan. With eleven hands on deck, if the practical choice was to put all of their heads and hands together to make a life for themselves on the road. It isn't always easy, considering there are sometimes raiders, mutants, or even rival traders to content with. But thanks to Lori's leadership, the girls, and Lincoln, have done fairly well.

Why? Because she has a system. She, Leni, Luna, Lynn, Lincoln, and Lisa do well on the field. Their range of skill sets, from Lisa's technical and medical knowledge, to Lincoln's time spent playing all those RPG's, to Leni's sheer luck as an idiot savant have all proved to mesh well in the face of opposition. Not to mention… they just happened to take up firearms well.

Especially Leni.

The others focus on upkeep. Luan took it upon herself to fulfil somewhat of a parental role with the youngest siblings, relying on her sense of humor and the same affinity for guidance she showed Lucy all those years back when mentoring her. That, and, well… she was scared she'd enjoy the "messy stuff" a little too much. April Fools pranking was probably a bad enough guilty pleasure.

…

It was all thanks to Lori, though. Without her stepping up...

"Hey, Lori?"

"Huh?"

She breaks from her daze long enough to see just who's addressing her. It's Luna, her unofficial second-in-command.

" _...Who knows what would have happened."_

Luna paces towards her older sister without her usual bravado. There's not much room for cheeky music references today. There's a problem that needs fixing, and it needs fixed ASAP.

"I was talking to her… I know you said not to, but she told me-"

"Dammit, Luna…" Lori curses with obvious disappointment as she stands up from her seat to face her.

"Before you start on me, hear me out," Luna pleas. "She says there's another caravan making its way through our route, and they've got enemies. _Bad news_ enemies…"

Lori thinks it over for a moment as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

"What kind of enemies?"

"Drug pushing raiders. And these dudes owe a debt to them."

Lori heavily sighs, feeling her heart start to race.

" _Don't panic… Panicking never works…"_

She lets Luna's words linger for a moment before devising a proper response.

"Alright… Take me to her…"

* * *

Luna escorts Lori to the makeshift holding cell Lana made for their prisoner.

Their last job wasn't supposed to be a rescue mission, but it became one. A group of raiders decided to ransack the settlement the Louds were to trade with, and Leni, being as empathetic as she is…

Well, she proved to be the master of convincing there. Not Lincoln.

So, Lori led them into battle, liberating the hostage settlers and swiftly punishing the raiders. Some ran, others… didn't have the option anymore.

But one surrendered.

The older Loud sisters open the door to the cell, and a young woman with long blonde hair rises from her bed to look to them.

Carol Pingrey.

She meets the two with piteous eyes. It had been a couple years since she became Lori's BFF, but everything has changed since then. Lori wasn't even sure if she survived.

But she did, and somehow, she wound up with a group of raiders.

Lori crosses her arms and glowers at Luna, who nervously rubs her arm and smiles through blushing red cheeks.

"I swear man, I came in to get her some water, and she asked what time it was."

"Mhm. Sure. It had nothing to do with your thing for blondes," Lori scolds before turning her attention to Carol.

"Lori! Hey! How are you-"

"Tell me everything you told Luna. Now," she curtly interrupts.

Carol looks to Luna, who uncomfortably looks to the side. Then she meets her old BFF's eyes, and… they've changed. This is not at all the same boy crazy seventeen year-old she knew before.

"Uhm… Alright," she timidly begins. "Uhm, before you get the wrong idea, you need to know something. I was only with those… _savages_ because I didn't have a choice! It was either do what they said, or-"

"Carol… Save it," Lori bluntly tells her, visibly impatient.

"She means well, dude…" Luna insists as she rests a hand on Lori's shoulder.

Lori looks to her with a scornful expression, but can't help feeling a little shameful as she meets Luna's brown eyes. Even so, she can't afford to take any chances.

"Why don't you go check up on the kids," she instructs.

Luna nods to convey she understands the connotative meaning, then softly smiles at Carol.

"I'll uhh… I'll check up on you in a bit," she says with an alluring nod.

Carol can't help but smile back at her, but settles back to reality when Lori pulls up a chair and sits in it back-first. She looks deathly seriously as she focuses her gaze, and Carol is sure to grant her her undivided attention.

"The raiders after the caravan, tell me about them," Lori orders.

Carol swallows some spit collecting in her throat, but does her best to keep composure.

"Okay… So, these caravanners are coming in from Hazeltucky. They're following the same route Luna said you guys were taking."

"She told you that?!" Lori tartly responds.

"Listen," Carol persists. "These guys are serious. They aren't your usual scavengers. They see people with goods and gear, and they take what they want. You don't want to run into them, especially with all of your little sisters."

Lori gets right in her face. "Don't act like we're friends. You don't know me or my family anymore."

"...Maybe not," Carol cautiously responds. "But you can use me. I can help you."

Lori stands up, but retains her aura of intimidation.

"You've got a lot of nerve… Give me _one_ good reason I should trust you."

Carol considers her words for a moment.

"Because… Because we were friends once."

Lori rolls her eyes. "That doesn't matter."

"It does matter! We can't just act like the past never happened! Things may not be the way they were before, but that doesn't mean I don't still care about you. I've thought about you everyday since-"

"You were with those raiders!" Lori shouts back. "If you were willing to run around with people like _that…"_

Carol shamefully eyes the ground for a moment before returning her now teary gaze to Lori.

"I have lost _everything_ Lori… I had no choice…"

Lori just stares at her, all these conflicting emotions stirring in her chest.

This is Carol Pingrey. The girl who won all those golf tournaments, and the crown of homecoming queen. She's the girl Lori asked to be her bridesmaid when she was supposed to marry Bobby.

But now… Who is she really? The new world changes people. Maybe people like Lori can retain some of who they were before, and it's possible that Carol has too…

But she could also just be a good liar.

Even so, Carol evidently knows a thing or two about the potentially incoming threat, and that makes her an asset.

Lori takes the chair and turns it around so she can sit in it properly now.

"Tell me more about these raiders."

Carol guffaws at her. "Didn't you hear anything I just said?"

Lori furrows her brow as she frowns… but she can't meet Carol's eyes. It just feels so wrong to be treating her this way, even with everything at stake.

"The raiders, Carol."

Carol steels herself as she nods in understanding. "Right…" she says, sniffling.

"The group I was with, before things went down the way they did- which, I didn't know things would go that way…"

Lori rolls her eyes.

"I heard some of them talking about how we needed to get out of there before the pushers showed up."

"Who are they, the pushers?" Lori asks.

"They call themselves a trading company, but they're really just a bunch of pissed off drug dealers and thieves. You think those guys I was with were bad? Yeah… These guys are a heck of a lot worse."

"That's easy to say when you're a prisoner," Lori retorts.

"I surrendered, didn't I?" Carol defends. "You didn't see me anywhere outside for a reason. Once I found out what was really going on, I took the first chance I had to steal away."

"And that makes you Mother Teresa?" Lori bitingly says.

"What could I have done, Lori? Gotten myself killed?" she says before guiltily looking away. "I didn't want to watch… I have enough trouble sleeping at night…"

Hearing her say this hurts Lori. She knows full well what that's like.

Carol takes a deep breath before getting back on track.

"Listen, I know my way around a rifle, and I know a good place we can hide out and wait them out. That's if we have time…"

Hearing her say this _worries_ her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it won't be very easy getting eleven people and all of their gear there fast."

She meets Lori with an intentful look in her eyes.

"But I have a back up plan."

Rather than saying anything, Lori just sits back and waits for her to elaborate, thoughtfully crossing her arms.

"If we take to the woods and the hills, we might be able to scare them off. Worst case scenario… Well… Luna brought up the idea of using grenades…"

Lori stands up again, and finds that Luna has returned. The two just look at one another before Luna speaks up.

"It might be the only thing keeping us from riding the stairway to heaven, Lori," she asserts.

Lori thinks it over, and returns to sizing up Carol. She's lost weight…

She heavily sighs, then gestures Carol to stand up. "Come on," she simply says.

Carol and Luna exchange uncertain looks, then give some to Lori.

"Well?" she retorts, and the others straighten up.

Lori leaves first, then they follow her out. Luna reaches out and touches Carol with just the tips of her fingers, and she stops.

"Uhm… It may not seem like it, but trust me. This is going well," she insists with an endearing little smile.

"Alright…" Carol simply says, returning a soft smile of her own.

* * *

 _*I… I cry… Never gonna hold the hand of another guy… Too young- for him they told her, waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier…*_

 _*Our love will never end, waitin' for the soldier to come back again. Never more to be alone, when the letter said, a soldier's comin-*_

Finally, Lincoln unplugs the radio.

The Louds and Carol all look to Luna, who defensively throws her hands up. "What? This isn't a funeral! I like music!"

The others shake their heads, minus Carol, who remains ambivalent.

"Okay… So we're all in agreement," Lori begins. "We'll all take to the highgrounds, and Luan will keep the kids safe here. The less they know, the better," she recaps.

Everyone nods, and Lynn punches her fist into her other palm. "Where do you want me for this one?" she asks.

"Actually… I want you to stay behind too, Lynn. You're a shitty enough shot during the daytime," Lori bluntly states.

"What? Come on! You need my help!" she eggs on.

"You're right. Which is exactly why I want you to have some of your famous Grinder grinders ready for us when we get back," Lori says, playing it cool.

Lynn scoffs, but eases up on her despondence. "Carol… What do you like on your sandwiches?"

Carol meets her with a stunned expression. "What? Me?"

She looks to the others, and they seem less antagonistic than she expected.

"Might I recommend trying some of my mut-fruit jam?" Lisa suggests. "I make it using pomes that have been exposed to exponentially small amounts of 'rads'- as the twins call them."

"Uhm, I don't understand," Carol expresses.

"It won't give you an extra toe," Luna jokes.

"I've gotten quite comfortable living with my eleventh toe," Lisa proudly states.

Leni counts off using her fingers, "Huh… Is it weird that we only have four fingers on each hand?" she questions.

"That's- not what I meant…" Carol explains. "Are you saying… I'm coming back with you guys?"

The others exchange somewhat keen looks before smiling at Carol.

"Only if you want to," Lincoln gladly tells her.

She smiles as she bashfully looks to her lap. "Wow… Uhm… I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything," Lori says as she stands up from her seat. She makes her way over to some rifles leaned up against the wall, and arbitrarily grasps the barrel of one. "Just don't make me regret it."

She looks to Carol with some stoicism, but everyone knows what's really going on. She's going to try and trust their newest companion, her old friend.

And Carol, she can't help but smile some more.

"Guys, I need to talk to Carol alone for a minute. You mind?" Lori politely tells the others.

Of course, no one argues. "Sure thing, Lori," Lincoln says on everyone's behalf, and they all get up to give the two oldest girls some privacy.

"Is this about the Dixie Chicks?" Leni coyly asks Lynn on the way out.

"Sure…" she simply says, just for fun.

Luna stops herself though, and turns back to Carol. "Uh… If you need somewhere to sleep tonight, I've got a bed big enough for-"

"Come on…" Lisa says, taking her by the wrist to get her moving.

And with that, Lori and Carol are now alone. The awkward silence is palpable for a few moments, especially for Carol, but Lori feels it too.

It was hard enough approaching her in that crafts store all those years ago just to confront her about selfies. But this? So the drama…

"So…" she finally begins. "You uhm… You look good. I mean, you don't look like you've mutated any."

"Thanks…" Carol dubiously replies. Her demeanor shifts as she decides to be a little more assertive. "Lori… What made you change your mind? I mean… About trusting me?"

Lori looks to an empty glass on the table, and superfluously strides her finger around its rim. "I guess… I guess I just realized... you're still Carol Pingrey. I mean, I'm still Lori Loud…" she answers.

"Yeah. Yeah we are."

They get quiet again, but only for a moment.

"How did you end up with those raiders?" Lori asks. "Sorry to harp on it… It's just-"

"I get it," Carol says. "Uhm… Okay…" she begins, visibly tensing up.

She musters the courage to continue though, and goes through with it.

"I was with some classmates for a field trip as part of a film class for the university when the bombs fell. It didn't take me long to realize, liberal arts college students aren't exactly survivalists."

Lori half smiles at her quip, but she realizes from the crestfallen look on her face that it doesn't get much better.

"I went from group to group, relying on my good looks to get me by," she jokingly says again. "I had some boy toys. They'd teach me things about guns and cars and what not. You know, the essentials of surviving the apocalypse… None of them ever lasted long though."

The jokes stop, and Lori is sure to give her her undivided attention.

"I had a bad run-in with some reavers with my last real group, and… I was the only one who made it out alive… Stupid jerks. I told them we should've fallen back."

"You're still Carol Pingrey, alright," Lori quips now, immediately regretting it. "Sorry."

Carol coolly waves it off. "Anyway… I met with a guy who promised me he could keep me safe if I'd help him with some odd jobs. Turns out he was a raider. Next thing I know, I'm in too deep with these guys, and they're talking about raiding this settlement with robot pirates."

"Robot pirates?"

"Well, you saw that settlement. No robot pirates. I didn't say they were _smart_ raiders."

"Yeah… I've dealt with worse," Lori somewhat braggingly says.

"I swear I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt, Lori…"

"I know," Lori says with conviction.

It gets quiet once more, but… This is a good quiet. Almost like this is the start of picking up where they left off so long ago.

"So… You seem to have everybody here whipped into shape," Carol remarks.

Lori smiles. "Yeah. I mean, yeah… But they're awesome. They keep _me_ in shape."

Carol smiles now too. "Yeah… Luna's awfully friendly."

Lori rolls her eyes. "Yeah, she's that way with me so she can be the boss someday," she jokes.

"And what about me?" Carol adds, her cheeks reddening a bit.

"She uh… she has a thing for blondes," Lori answers.

* * *

In the quiet of night, the Louds and Carol have perched upon a hill overlooking the exposed, dead grassland that is the trading route. All the planning has been done. Should the raiders stray to the east, they can simply go home. Nothing will be lost.

But if they go west… Luna brought grenades. A lot of 'em.

Unsurprisingly, Luna took her spot close to Carol. She isn't foolish enough to let her infatuation get in the way of the task at hand, but there's no harm in at least being close to the girl.

Lincoln and Leni typically stick together. Despite being so young, he's easily the second strongest of the Loud children behind Lynn, and knows a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat. Of course, that's a rarity, and it doesn't usually matter considering that Leni is able to pick enemies off from impressive distances with her rifle before they even see them.

Lisa is the same way, but only because she's equipped with the best sight-enhancing sniper rifle her prodigy brain could rig together. She prefers to stay as far back from conflicts as possible.

And Lori? She's always at the forefront. If anyone is getting shot at first, it's her.

It helps that she has a full suit of well maintained pre-fall power armor though.

…

It's times like these, when all the planning has been done, when there's nothing to do but wait, that she can silently reflect on things.

The kids sure are growing up fast. It seems like yesterday Lily was only concerned with her teddy and whether or not her diapers were getting changed, but now she's practically giving more orders than Lori. She's a good kid.

Lola got smart. Of all the children, she took adjusting to the wastes the hardest; but with her sisters' guidance, especially Lana, she eventually made out okay.

And Lana was just made for this stuff. It's sad to say, but she almost does so well here that it's scary. Even so, she's still a ten year-old girl, and she still has nightmares that her older sisters have to comfort her about every so often.

Lisa changed the least. She once explained to the others how her death competency and her research on the possibility of doomsday scenarios had indoctrinated her to disconnect from the pain of her post-apocalypse existence, much to the confusion, worry, and even anger of the others. It was something Lori couldn't understand then, but it's something she's learning to accept now. Still, even Lisa cries every Mother's Day.

Lucy got even more quiet. It didn't seem possible in the old world, but now it's as if she only speaks in absolutes. _Yes Lori, I cleaned the bunker. Yes Lori, the cows were fed. Yes Lori, I told Lana not to spill those beans._

As much as it pains her to do it, sometimes Lori will sneak a look in the girl's journal just to see how she really feels. The entries have gotten smaller over the years. Where there used to be thousand-word texts on everything from stories to just angst-filled rants… now there's just the occasional four to five stanza poem.

Luan… Damn… She's been the glue that keeps everyone together. Even with everything bad that has happened or does happen, she tries her hardest to make sure there are smiles on her siblings' faces. Whether it's telling jokes, or just trying to be optimistic about a bad crop, she doesn't let any of her pain show, even if the older girls know it's there.

Lincoln got a little hairier, and a lack of electronics essentially forced him to start focusing on his fitness, but he was still the man with the plan that everyone loved.

Lynn didn't have sports teams now, but she decided to turn wasteland survival into a sport, if only to stay sane.

Luna still sings, Leni still loves clothes

There aren't always reasons to smile, and it isn't always easy for the Louds to hold on to the things they loved about the old world. Music, jokes, tea-parties…

But all things considered, they still had each other. And as long as Lori Loud was around, she was going to keep it that way.

…

Sometimes, she even takes time to think of herself. Carol wasn't the only one who lost weight. Carol wasn't the only one who lost… a lot of things.

It didn't matter though. Not anymore at least. She didn't have the luxury of being able to sit back and feel sorry for herself.

She needs to keep the caravan running. She needs to make sure everyone has their running geiger counters. She needs to make sure Lana is bathing, Lola is brushing her teeth, and that Lily gets told how great her parents were… and how much they loved her.

She won't always be around to do those things, and she decided long ago that it was never too early to start preparing for that. Luan will make sure the kids are getting taken care of, she already knew that. It wasn't her responsibility, but she _made_ it her responsibility.

Lynn and Lincoln will take over the business end of things, and the messy stuff. Someone has to do it after all. Lana and Lisa already handle maintenance and upkeep, and the others will pitch in any way they can.

But, everyone knows the truth. Luna is being groomed to take Lori's place one day. She won't be as firm, and maybe she'll be a little more hot headed, but there isn't even anyone close to ready for the responsibility she'll have to take one day.

At least, there wasn't.

Carol Pingrey can be trusted. Lori sees that now. Of course she had her reservations at first, but seeing her here with her family now… She can't help but think that, in some way, this is how it's always looked. All of her sisters looking up to an older blonde haired girl with an impeccable taste in fashion.

They were friends once, _rivals_ once. But they've always been two sides of the same proverbial coin. They were leaders among followers, women among girls.

And apocalypse or no apocalypse, one thing would stay the same…

They'd always do the right thing. Especially for their loved ones.

* * *

A shiver runs down Lori's spine.

" _They're coming."_

She had actually started to doze off.

" _Reckless."_

It wouldn't happen again.

She looks around to see the others are all diligently keeping watch, and her locks eyes with Luna for a moment.

With just this brief look, Lori is able to say everything she needs to say with just her eyes.

 _Eyes peeled. Guns ready._

Luna just nods.

Lori slowly, carefully raises her rifle up. She looks through her scope down to the field below, and sees vague figures drawing closer and closer.

 _Big_ vague figures.

"Shit…" she utters.

She looks back to Carol with a curt expression.

"What?" Carol asks.

"You didn't tell me they were super mutants," Lori sourly explains.

Carol actually scowls. "I didn't think it mattered? Don't be so close-minded you bigot."

Lori just rolls her eyes as she returns her focus to the potential threat.

" _Please go left, please go left, please go left…"_

They turn right.

She almost lets a four letter word escape her lips as she lightly punches her knee, then turns back to the others with the frustration resonating on her face.

They all look to her with worried expressions, but they brace themselves as they accept the reality of the situation. They won't be heading home just yet. They might not be heading home at all.

Lori gestures Luna and Carol to come closer, and they do.

"Alright, just like we talked about. You two flank me, and let me do the talking."

They simply nod, and with that, Lori makes her move.

…

"I'm telling you, I've never had a better waffle in my life," one of the super mutants says to another.

The other rolls its eyes.

"Here he goes again…" he thinks aloud, earning laughs from the others.

"I'm serious! Before the fall, I wouldn't _dream_ of sticking my hand down a toilet!" the first mutant continues. "But, no lie, next time I see a toilet with food in it, I'm dropping whatever the hell I'm doing to reach in there and get me some!"

"He's actually proud of that?" one mutant whispers to another.

"Just humor him… He gets the good shit," the other mutant responds.

Suddenly, a bullet shoots the ground just before them, flying dust up in their faces.

They all straighten up and look skyward, and the unmistakable headlight of a power armor helmet shines down on them.

"Nobody make any sudden moves. You're surrounded," Lori tells them.

The mutants all exchange stunned, then _angered_ looks.

"What the hell is this?!" one of them shouts.

"This is a negotiation. Keep your hands where they are now and it can stay that way," she continues.

One of the mutants huffs, the captain apparently, then forms a rebuttal.

"What kind of negotiation?"

The Louds all watch on with their fingers ready to squeeze triggers, and in Luna's case, ready to pull a pin.

"A little birdy told me you're looking for a caravan that ran through here. Said you might be a problem for my business," Lori begins.

"Right now you're being a problem for _my_ business," the mutant captain retorts.

"Well, that's a damn shame," Lori responds. "But you see, I literally planned on being asleep with a belly full of mut-fruit jelly right now until I heard about you ugly pieces of shit. So, needless to say, I'm not in the best mood."

"That was a sick rhyme," Luna whispers to Carol.

"Has she always been so prejudiced against mutants or what?" Carol whispers back.

The mutant captain snarls. "You claim to have us surrounded. Then why can't I see anymore lights?"

"Believe this, dickhead; I've got a box full of frags up here, and I can have them tossed down on you like flies on cow shit if you don't turn around and head back to whatever trash heap you crawled out of."

There's silence. Lori keeps her rifle ready, just as her sisters and old BFF do. Luna doesn't shy away from her box of frags, and her eye twitches with anticipation.

The mutants don concerned looks, all except for the toilet waffle eating one.

He lets out a growl, "Ahhhhh, screw this! JAAAAAMES SUNDERLAAAAAAND!" he cries as he pulls out his rifle and readies to unload.

Before he can fire a single bullet though, a rival shell flies through his skull, and he falls dead on the ground.

The other mutants get wide-eyed as they realize their companion has been wasted, and they all look to Lori with obvious bewilderment.

The Louds all look around to one another, trying to see who had the right to claim the kill. To the surprise of no one, it appears it was Leni to make such a clean shot, as she slowly pulls herself away from her scope after reloading.

"A gunshot a day keeps the baddies away," she gleefully sings to herself.

The mutant commander nods with respect. "Fair enough, human. I will spare your pathetic lives."

The Louds all do their best to contain their pleasant surprise, even Lori from underneath her armor plating.

"But only because that guy was a huge dick!" the mutant captain finishes

Lori takes a moment to consider her next move, then motions the others not to let their guard down before returning her attention to the mutants.

"Get moving then, asshole," she orders the commander, and no more words are said between the two parties.

The drug peddling caravan turns back around, and the Louds watch until they are just silhouettes in the distance.

Finally, Lori motions them to ease up.

"Alright!" Lincoln quietly cheers, and the others join in with cheers of their own.

Lori removes her helmet, and goes back to join them. Even she can't help but smile as she sees all their happy faces.

"That was most exhilarating," Lisa comments. "Shall we return to camp and enjoy those sandwiches now?"

Lori looks to Carol, who breaks away from a laughter filled gaze with Luna to return her gesture.

Still, she smiles. "Yeah, I think we've earned them," she answers.

* * *

Lori never changed. Even in all of the years that followed, she stayed strong, she stayed firm, and she somehow managed to stay grateful.

It made it all that much harder when she didn't make it home one day.

Eight more years passed after that fateful night where Carol joined their fold, and in those eight years, she grew to love and respect Lori just as her brother and sisters had. They didn't just become friends again, they became family.

The caravan couldn't stop just because Lori wouldn't be around anymore; all of her hard work would be for nothing if it did. Just as she hoped and prayed for, Luan kept the kids happy, Lynn kept the guns clean, Lincoln made sure vintage Flippees were being sold, and Lisa made sure camps, crops, and cows were clean… as well as making sure no one else would have to grow extra toes.

And Luna? She just made sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing. She'd have to yell at Lola sometimes for being greedy with her mut-fruit pie, but she made up for it by teaching her how to play guitar. She'd have to scold Lana sometimes for trying to bring home two-headed bear cubs, but she'd also make sure to ask her if she was having nightmares.

She also made sure Carol had a bed to sleep in at night… mostly because they shared one.

Oddly enough, Lucy got close with the Pingrey girl. They both shared an affinity for the arts, and would often draw, paint, and sometimes write together.

Of course, Lily had someone to teach her about hair, make-up, and boys… All the things she thought Lori would do for her someday. And not just Carol, but Luna, Lola, Luan, and even Lincoln.

…

Eventually, life on the road became a thing of the past, as the family founds its home in a new settlement established at Scratchy Bottom campgrounds. They still worked in trade for the most part, but it was a chance for everyone to actually branch out and live for more than just each other.

Luan became a school teacher alongside a woman named Maggie, and they'd do improv comedy shows on weekends. It was mostly just Luan making wisecracks and using props for cheap pops while the raven haired girl frowned at everything, but it made for quality entertainment.

Lola, Lana, and Lucy all found boyfriends, but they still made sure to tease Lily for having crushes of her own with the boys she schooled with.

Lisa of course became somewhat of a doctor to the community, opening up her own practice. She also oversaw vegetation and agriculture, and was the leading (only) researcher in town.

Lynn made sure to start coaching the local kids in every sport she could think of, including frog riding races, of course. Frogs got much bigger as time passed. She also became the leader of the local militia alongside a handsome fellow named Francisco.

To his surprise, amazement, and joy; Lincoln reunited with his old friend Clyde, and even a girl named Jordan from his elementary days. When we wasn't busy getting into mischief with the One Eyed Jack to his Ace Savvy, he was busy teaching Jordan how to play pool… among other things.

Leni didn't exactly settle down. Sure, she lived most of her days as a seamstress and all around good samaritan, but every once in a while she'd get called upon to handle the one-and-done jobs that no one else could with just one bullet.

As for Luna and Carol… They were married. They'd run their shop during the days, and they'd play guitar and violin for the community on weekends at night. And any time news broke out that trouble might be on its way for the settlement, it was the two of them who stepped up to find solutions.

But, even the greatest of leaders need a break sometimes, and all newlyweds are supposed to have a honeymoon…

* * *

It was something they had to do. While the first few days of their honeymoon were spent mostly enjoying each other's company in the safety of the campgrounds, today would be a journey. Not one of sport or scavenging, but one of necessity nonetheless.

Although it took quite a bit of calculating, and some guesswork even, Lisa was able to pinpoint the location of a certain suit of power armor for her sister and sister-in-law.

She made no promises, and the girls did their best to be reasonable about getting their hopes up.

Even so, the closer they get to the coordinates on their GPS, the harder their hearts beat.

Carol takes Luna's hand, and gives it a tight squeeze. "I'm so nervous," she admits.

Luna returns a squeeze of her own. "Yeah… I am too."

They traverse over a grassy field with beautiful patches of flowers and strangely complimenting rusted aesthetics from pre-fall America. The field leads to a lake, and along the lakeside, there a bare spot of land where a full set of power armor rests.

The two women freeze upon seeing it. It sure as hell looks like Lori's set of armor, but there is only one way to be sure.

Luna rushes over to it, and Carol is quick to follow. Cautiously, Luna kneels down beside the fallen warrior, and measures him or her up for any incriminating signs that it is her older sister.

"Luna?" Carol weakly says.

Luna doesn't respond, she just carefully takes her hand to wipe away some of the pollen from the tag on right chestplate.

And it's faded.

"Luna?" Carol says again.

Luna can feel her eyes welling up.

"This tag…"

She looks back to her wife, who is practically shaking.

"It's her…"

Carol can't help it, she has to cry too.

She makes her way to join Luna's side, and has a look at the faded tag.

"This thing is scratched up just like I remember… It's her. It's really her…" Luna explains with tears.

For a little while, the couple enjoy their shared embrace, and their reunion with the person who made it all possible.

Eventually, Carol breaks the silence as she wraps her arms around her lover. "I knew we'd find her. Deep down… I just knew."

Luna rests her hand on top of hers, and smiles. "I did too."

They look back to the helmeted Loud sister, and picture her beautiful, smiling face. They can feel her here with them, somehow watching down and giving them her love.

"She… she would be really proud of you. She'd be proud of all of us," Carol musters the strength to voice out.

Luna fights to not let any more tears escape her, but still smiles. "I know."

She reaches out to press her hand against Lori's helmet, and kisses the skin of her hand.

"I love you Lori. I miss you," she tells her older sister.

With tremendous hesitation, she decides it's finally time to say goodbye. So, she stands up, Carol does the same, and they slowly begin to walk away.

They get a few paces away before turning back to look at her one last time, then find themselves looking out to the horizon over the lake.

"It's beautiful," Luna says about it, then she looks to her wife and takes her hand again.

Carol happily accepts it, and she gazes deep into Luna's eyes. "You are," she replies.

Luna just smiles at her words, then breaks away glance at Lori one last time.

As hard as it is to tell her goodbye, she knows that she'll never be forgotten. Her memory will live on through her sisters and brother, and their children, and everyone they'll tell about her story.

Even with everything this crazy life through at them, from bad luck ridden family vacations, to the fall of man, to chance meetings in craft stores…

Lori never changed. She was the best big sister, the best _friend_ a girl could ask for.

* * *

 **Hey there Loud Crowd, thanks for checking this out. While I normally focus on stuff I can fit into my "Pillowverse" (like certain shipping fics and other stories I fail to finish because I'm as useless as a paperweight), I decided to try something new today.**

 **I've been playing a lot of This is Not a Test lately, and I'm excited for the next Fallout game, so I thought I'd try something post-apocalypse.**

 **But… It's me, remember? Of course I'd turn this into a big fluffy mess with Loud lesbians.**

 **Anyway, I was mostly focusing on dialogue here. So, maybe the thing doesn't have a Pulitzer Prize worthy plot, but I'm still happy with it. This was really just an exhibition that I got really carried away with.**

 **Even so, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and maybe I'll revisit something like this again in the future if I get the hankering. Better yet, maybe someone will draw inspiration from this thing and do their own (actually enjoyable) story.**

 **Thanks for reading, and be sure keep a geiger counter handy.**


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